WAHM Diaries

My Saturday morning was hectic. I was due to attend an event — Sun Life’s Mom’s Day Out — right after lunch so all the chores I needed to do needed to be done in the morning. And you know what a school-mom’s Saturday looks like! Laundry, catching up on cleaning, preparing for the weekend… actually scratch that, preparing for the new week ahead! I was so busy Saturday morning that I strained my back.

This mommy got pampered!

Even though my day was full, I knew I wouldn’t miss this event simply because this is an event by a company I truly believe in. Last year, I got myself a VUL (I wrote about my Sun Life VUL recently), and when Job goes home, he’s planning to get one, too. Despite the hectic schedule and the strained back, I think Sun Life’s Mom’s Day Out couldn’t have been scheduled at a better date. I love how I was able to just kick my heels, relax, and de-stress during that day!

Yuri, with his lolo and lola, dropped me off. No kids allowed! Hehe. He had a fun date with the grandparents

The event was held at Park Inn. I arrived at the venue earlier than the others because it is quite near my home, so I was able to observe. Here are some pictures!

We were treated to a dry massage care of the lovely massage therapists of Elysia. It was just exactly what my sore back needed! We ooh-ed and aah-ed to every knead and I personally felt the stress and pressure of the past week evaporate.

With my newfound friend, Angel!

And just when we thought the pampering sesh was done, it was time to eat! The spread prepared for us was not only pretty but also mouth-watering. I love how dainty — and healthy — the dishes were. I couldn’t pick a favorite because everything tasted good!

My plate!

The Balanced Motherhood

When cocktail time was over, we went back to our seats to prepare for the meat of the event: the talk. First speaker was psychologist, Family Life specialist, and author Michele Alignay.

Listening to her speak was a delight! She talked about balanced motherhood and how we, as mothers, should value ourselves and put self-care on top of our priority lists. Because there is nothing to give if we are not full in the first place!

Michele Alignay

The concept may sound foreign, especially if you were raised thinking that mothers are to be completely selfless and self-denying. But here’s a statement that resounded strongly to me:

And isn’t that true? Here are more of my takeaways from Michele’s talk that must be shared:

If you feel like your life needs more balance (or, to be more correct, harmony), you need to re-balance, which entails these three things: perception + emotion + action.

PERCEPTION

Affirm your goodness

Release control of things beyond you

Saying “no” is okay

Feeling happy and satisfied is normal

Relinquish some tasks that stress you

EMOTIONS

During emotional highs: pause

Ditch the guilt

Choose to love more (or love from a distance)

Be silly with the kids

Make your marriage matter

ACTIONS

Choose to rest or sleep (over cleaning up)

Give yourself an extra 10-minute shower

Put a little color in your face

Find a spot to reflect

Find a daily physical activity

The goal of self-care is to live a balanced life. And a well-balanced mom has more to give! – Michele Alignay

Preparing the way for our kids’ education

To be honest, I thought that having the VUL was enough. It is one of the best financial decisions I have made; however, I admit that I haven’t really given enough thought to Yuri’s education. Job actually talks about Yuri’s college education from time to time, but I thought it was too early to plan.

Mylene Almonte

Well, our second speaker, Sun Life Mindanao’s cluster head Mylene Almonte, proved my presumptions wrong. If there’s a perfect time to start preparing for our son’s (or children’s, who knows?) college education, it is right now. She explained to us the rising cost of college tuition fees and even gave sample projections for the next 10, 15, 20 years. By the time Yuri goes to college, the costs of education are very likely to be astronomical! So dilly-dallying is not an option.

It’s a good thing Sun Life offers an efficient but “friendly” plan, a My Future Fund, to help us parents prepare for the future. Here’s what to do:

Set the goal (target date)

Choose the MFF that matures closest to the goal

Pair MFF with a variable life insurance program that suits the budget

It’s efficient because it promises the benefits of good returns beating the inflation rate and professional management. Perfect for mothers like me who don’t have all the time in the world to study the stock market and manage their own portfolios. And it’s friendly because the fund is liquid and you get to decide your target date. I will update you once we get this policy!

Sun Life love!

I truly learned a lot from that afternoon! I gained (pun unintended) friends, insights, and time for myself. I came out of the event refreshed and with a renewed sense of purpose as a parent, as a partner, and as a woman! Thank you so much, Sun Life Financial!

PS: I’m sure you’ve seen Sun Shorts videos on Facebook! If you’re a mom like me, you absolutely need to watch this video to tug on your heartstrings.

Hi! I think it’s time for me to come out of hiding. Lololol. I miss blogging! After all, it’s been three weeks since I started my self-imposed hiatus. And it’s March now! Come on, how fast does time fly? Wasn’t it just yesterday when I was freaking out because it’s Christmas season?

It’s supposed to be the start of summer, but it’s still cold and rainy! I can’t complain, though. As much as I love clear and sunny skies, there’s just something so enchanting about gloomy weather. I’m enjoying it now because I’m sure I’m going to miss it when the sun finally takes over.

Anyway, how are you? As for me, life is full lately – and that’s a cute code word for stressful. And it’s only about to get even fuller!

1. Helper wanted!

I’ve taken my recent hiatus because I just didn’t have any time to blog anymore. I still haven’t found a helper for the house, so it’s looking like a disaster zone and a daycare had a lovechild. Seriously! Why is it so hard to look for decent help nowadays? There was one who came to our house last Sunday. My friend, Yankee, referred her to me. However, upon arriving at my house, she was shocked to know that she will be serving an entire family. She thought she will be working for me alone daw.

I was surprised; it turns out there was a misunderstanding between her and my friend, and I can’t blame either party. Long story short, even if she didn’t insist, I made the helper go back home. Mahirap na, baka manumbat pa in the future.

2. Operations Manager -slash- Real Estate Broker

I’m still working my 8-hour job, which I thankfully love. And we’re still terribly busy setting up our real estate office. We’re not yet done with the preliminaries; there’s so much to do!

Cavanico Il Mare!

Here’s my routine. Right after I’m done working, I proceed to either work on my real estate website or head out to visit sites, get accredited in offices, or do whatever. All my weekends are fully booked, but in fairness not everything is about work. Just last Saturday, we spent the day at Cavanico Il Mare, which was a welcome opportunity for some R&R!

3. School hunting season starts now

Oh, and there’s Yuri. Thank God he doesn’t have to do any homework at the stage he’s currently at in Eye Level — or else there will be a four-year old kid who hands in empty workbooks every time. My Type A personality would not be able to handle that!

Then again, reality check: Yuri’s starting kindergarten this school year and we can’t delay it any further. Also, I will have to face the truth that homeschooling is not for us. It does not fit our current lifestyle. Even though Job is supportive, he is more than 5000 miles away, so everything that needs to be done (at least physically) is up to me. And my katawang lupa can’t handle it. It’s time for big school and we have to prepare for it!

4. Yuri’s birthday

And speaking of Yuri, he is about to turn 5 later this month! His birthday is actually on the 26th pa but because we’ll not be in Davao that day, we will celebrate his birthday a week earlier.

It’s just a small party – actually I wouldn’t even consider having a party if not for McDonald’s. I’m not really the type of person who holds parties, pero sayang naman ang gift certificates lol. His party is already booked (which was a breeze — thank you so much, McDonald’s!) but I still have to finalise the menu, the cake, etc. I haven’t even finalised the list of invites yet. Help!

I’m supposed to be losing weight now because I’m doing a lot of things, but the opposite is true. I’m stress-eating more so I’ve gained more weight. Eek! So I’m planning to revisit my routine, follow it, and find a way to prioritise my faith, health, and well-being.

Let’s start with a couple of minutes of positive thinking. I’m thankful I have to scrub tiles and wash dishes and mop floors because it means I have a house. I’m thankful I have to balance my time between my day job and my being a real estate broker because it means I have valuable skills to impart. I’m thankful we have the option to look for a good school and have a party! Even though I barely have time to shower — let alone moisturise — I’m grateful.

I’ve been trying to wear all the hats simultaneously, but this time, I really need to focus on the last one. Earlier this year, my mum and I decided to team up and start our own realty office (just about time), and there are a loooot of things that I need to do and take care of. I had virtually zero rest (outside of sleeping, of course) for the past several weeks and it shows — my eyebags are now too heavy to hand-carry. It’s time to face the truth and admit that I cannot do all of these things at the same time. I need to prioritise and de-prioritise.

I will never fully give up blogging; it’s just that now is a really really busy time. It’s a busy time at work as an operations manager and it’s a busy time trying to get accredited and affiliated with developers as a real estate broker. My blogger hat needs to rest first because I barely have time to even write now. Scratch that, I barely have time to do anything else now! I’m going crazy LOL!

But I will be back as soon as I can. Please be there when I come back! Love you all!

It’s been seven years since I started working from home, but there’s one thing I’m still mastering: the art of work-life balance.

It sounds like a no-brainer. I’m working and at the same time, I’m at home, so work-life balance must come naturally, right? How I wish it was that easy! When you’re a WAHM, the divide between work and, well, life easily gets blurred. There are times when I can’t stop working even when it’s already beyond working hours. And then there are also days when I barely pay attention to my child because I’m chasing the deadline.

I usually work from our home office (you know, with an actual desk), but it gets too cold there nowadays so I elect to work in the living room instead!

The guilt is double on my part because Yuri’s dad works abroad — time zone difference between Philippines and KSA is 5 hours so by the time Job gets off work, Yuri is already fast asleep. Because Job can’t spend time with Yuri as often as he wants to, I need to be Yuri’s mum and dad at the same time.

This year, I resolve to put my family first. It’s not going to change overnight, but it’s going to have to start from somewhere. I chose to start by doing one simple thing: stopping work to have kulitan breaks with Yuri every now and then. I started doing it last month and I’ve never felt better!

There are no rules. Kulitan break simply means lambingan, landian, harutan! We don’t have to do anything. We can eat if we want to, or cuddle if we want to, or take a short walk if we want to. If you’re a WAHM, here are 5 reasons why you must take kulitan breaks, too.

1. It improves productivity.

Confession time! I’m a Type A personality, and I feel like I have to do everything on time and perfectly. I felt like doing constant breaks doing nothing (at least, that’s what I used to think) ruins my schedule, which is oftentimes rigidly organised. Until I started doing kulitan breaks. Each time I go back to work after even just cuddling with my child, my mind feels a hundred times more refreshed! Because my mind is refreshed and my body is relaxed, I am able to focus on the tasks at hand at be more productive.

And I have time for my hobbies now, too!

2. It is a good stress-reliever.

Work is sometimes stressful. As I get older, stress begins to take a toll on my body. In fact, a couple of weeks ago, I had vertigo for the first time in my life — and that’s not including the IBS, allergies, and lactose intolerance. Gasp! But with a constant kulitan break with my 4-year old, I find it easier to forget about the stressful stuff. Going back to number one, instead of being stressed, my productivity level gets a boost so I don’t have to worry about stuff!

With a face like this greeting me every day, what’s there to stress about?

3. It’s a good excuse to get out of the house!

I love rainy days just as much as the next girl, but it keeps us from doing outdoor activities. During the summer time, Yuri and I enjoy taking walks around our quiet village, but we haven’t been able to do that for some time now because it rains every day. But WAHMs, you need to get out of the house and get some fresh air in your system! I myself feel trapped when I’m inside the house for too long. Since it’s always raining, we simply have my older brother drive us around or take us to the nearest drive-through for some comfort food fix!

(My brother is Yuri’s driver of choice instead of me because he wants me to be seated at the back with him #demoted)

4. It helps us know our kids better.

My son loves to laugh. He’s sensitive but he rarely gets angry. He’s also talkative and oozing with confidence! But he’s really shy around new people, so I think he might be an ambivert? Now that my four-year old (almost 5-year old!) is showing his personality, I am enjoying the reveal. I relish the facets of his personality that I discover every day, and the things I discover during kulitan breaks are invaluable.

5. It helps us grow as parents.

It feels good — and it makes your kids feel good. It sounds great, but it’s actually challenging because, let’s be honest, our kids are not immaculate angels all the time. Kulitan breaks sound wonderful, but there are days when kulitan and lambingan take more effort than usual.

No makeup, no problem. Messy hair don’t care!

But a WAHM must resolve to spend time with her child even on days when she doesn’t have the time or energy or the motivation to do it! Even on days when you don’t feel like doing so, even on days when you think you simply do not have time to get away from the keyboard.

Yes, even on days when your child seems naughtier than nice! Even on frustrating days when they seem to be not listening or following. Even on days when their curiosity gets the better of them. Remember that whether they finish first, last, or not at all, for us parents, ourkids are the best. Whether they sit down nicely to do art or run like a tornado and leave a devastation behind, our kids are learning.

And neither their child-like behaviour nor their performance must dictate how we show them our love. Our kids are being just that, kids! So let’s allow them to have fun, explore things, make mistakes, make a mess! Let’s show them that time spent with them is much more precious than time spent on doing work.

You never know how much a 10-minute kulitan break with his mum (and dad!) means to a child.

Blogger disclosure: This post is sponsored by McDonald’s.

I’m online pretty much the entire day and sometimes, that means easier access to online shopping websites! That spells disaster for my bank account, but the good thing about being online all the time is discovering services that help me save money. I stumble upon promos and discounts, and I also learned about ShopBack.ph.

ShopBack is the #1 cashback/rebates site in the Philippines that gives you cashback for your online purchases on top of exclusive discounts. Basically, you earn while you shop! I wrote about ShopBack early this year, and since then, my cashback only increased. I can no longer shop online without using it!

The best thing about ShopBack is its reliability. It has over 300 partnering merchants like Lazada and Zalora (even Althea!) and was featured on The Manila Times, Philstar, Inquirer.net, GMA Network, Tech In Asia, Channel NewsAsia & more. It is also present in 5 other countries: Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, and Taiwan. When I cashed out my earnings a few months ago, I was surprised because it was super easy. Plus, I was able to withdraw the amount I earned in full!

Because of ShopBack, I’m more confident to shop online because it saves me big bucks. Right now, I’m in the middle of a big lifestyle transition. While I am still working for my employer full-time, I decided to exert more effort into my real estate work — I’m a licensed real estate broker — and I might need quite a few things.

(Of course, this is not the same for everyone. This is what I currently need as someone who is working from home full-time, homeschooling a preschooler, and looking forward to a start-up realty office!)

What’s in the Cart of a Real Estate Broker Who Wants to Practise

1. Camera

All real estate practitioners know that you must have a decent camera to take pictures of properties. I used to have a Samsung WB150F and I was able to use it for more than 2 years. Now it’s already conking out and I can’t really just depend on my phone for pictures all the time. Lumix is my ultimate camera crush, btw!

2. Wireless Vacuum Cleaner

Almost every day I wish I had a reliable household helper lol, but the truth is finding a good one that is 100% trustworthy is like finding a needle in a haystack. So instead of paying someone a monthly salary, why not buy household appliances that make life a breeze?

3. iPad Mini

A good tablet is also a real estate practitioner must-have. You can use it to update your website or Facebook page on the go or use it to show your clients pictures and property info. I used to own an O+ tablet but it conked out only a few months after it was bought. Two thumbs down, boo!

5. Running Shoes

You’re gonna be everywhere if you’re going to work as a real estate practitioner! You’re going to go on site visits, go to banks, offices of developers, even government agencies. So a pair of sturdy running shoes is a must. (Also, this will probably inspire me to go to the gym.)

7. Oven

The last item on my wishlist is a toss between a slow cooker and a convection oven. A slowcooker sounds awesome, and I’m sure I would have access to hundreds of slow cooker recipes. But I’m paranoid. I can’t leave anything turned on when I leave the house because what if there’s a power interruption? Que horror! So it’s a convection cooker; at least I can make lunches without hassle!

You know what’s even more awesome? If I buy these things via ShopBack.ph, I’ll get a percentage of my money back guaranteed! So essentially I’m saving money on these stuff. It’s very easy to use, too. All you need to do is:

Click on it and wait to be redirected to your preferred website. Shop using this window and this window alone. Do not continue your transaction or complete your shopping using a new tab; otherwise, you won’t earn your cashback.

Wait for your cashback to be credited into your account (you may receive an update via email). That’s it!

What’s on your wish list? Share your wish list and get a chance to win awesome prizes from ShopBack.ph!

When I first took the leap to become a full-time WAHM in 2012, I thought it was the most ideal setup a mother could have. I see my son, who was then an infant, every minute of every day and even though we had a yaya, I was still hands-on when it came to him.

But working from home is not exactly flowers and rainbows.

For example, just the other day, it wasn’t even 8 am and I was already deadbeat. Piles of dishes that needed to be washed greeted me when I took a break to eat breakfast. The house was messy all throughout and the floors badly needed sweeping. My dad, who undergo regular dialysis, needs to be assisted when taking his meds. Yuri is a lot more independent now but of course he still needs my regular assistance and guidance.

I mean, I used to run a regular Finance Fridays column in my old blog, Davao Mommy. I used to spew all kinds of financial wisdom — from technical stuff like investing in stocks or mutual funds to life concepts like being contented and living beneath one’s means.

I know we used to live way beneath our means. Despite paying for the amortisation of a house and lot, we were still able to set aside ample emergency fund.

Things are different now. We’re no longer paying for amortisation (we actually withdrew our application and, with the refunded payment, bought a bigger lot just outside the subdivision). I am no longer freelancing and have been working as a full-time employee for a year now, and Job is in Riyadh. Ideally, we should have been saving more because the income is more regular, but the bitter truth is, our savings account are stagnant.

Well, it’s funny how regular salary gives you a false sense of security. I thought we were doing okay, financially, until I took the time last weekend to assess how we were really doing.

The Hidden Expenses

Before you picture me in athletic gear and Nike running shoes with beads of sweat on my forehead, let me tell you that I just ran indoors. I did it for two reasons: first, I didn’t want to see “bad-vibe” neighbours (our lovely ex-yaya who propagated malicious rumours against us ‘round the village was still working for a neighbour back then) and second, I didn’t have athletic gear or running shoes. LOL!

But you know what? It still worked. I had quick (okay, relatively quicker) metabolism and strong legs. It wasn’t hard for me to lose weight then.

Until I stopped because of weak knees.

I was still breastfeeding heavily then so I attributed the knee pain to it, but running also contributed, so I just stopped. And then I grew fatter and fatter… /sob story

But recently, I noticed that my knees are no longer aching. It’s as if the knee pain didn’t exist at all. Because I’ve gotten a lot heavier and most of my clothes no longer fit me, I was motivated to exercise again. I couldn’t run again though, at least, not yet. I had to start with something easier, like walking.

Working from home must be one of the most un-glamorous jobs out there.

…and there is even less glamour when you’re working from home while cleaning the house and looking after a toddler who never seems to run out of energy!

But I have a personal stabiliser: my being a real estate broker.

I consider myself an infant in the real estate industry. After all, I’ve been one for barely a year; I just passed the board exam just June of last year and got my license later that month. And I haven’t focused on real estate fully. I am holding a full-time job with Stay At Home Mum Australia and I’m loving my work there. However, when opportunities arise, I make use of my fairly new title.

My mother, who is in the real estate industry, too (actually, she’s the one who pushed me to take classes and take the real estate services board exam), likes to take me to events to expose me to the industry, the movers, and the people in it. I like attending events because aside from the exposure, I like to eat food. LOL! Continue Reading

(I only “own” half of that office — I’m focusing on my desk now teehee.)

I mean, I know it’s not that messy (my mum’s desk is a lot messier!) but it’s no longer inspiring. Nothing is in its right place and it’s a far cry from what it looked like during the first days of January. Observe:

Almost all of my pretty desk stuff unceremoniously dumped on top of my (Yuri’s) shelf

I keep on forgetting to glue this cute giraffe back to my Rina Designs pen holder (see brown wooden box at the back)

For some reason, I put this notepad on top of my (unclean) printer?

And my drawer is overflowing with paper, stickers, cards, and whatnots

I read just this afternoon an article that one simple trick in boosting your productivity is this: a workspace that inspires you. Isn’t that simple and wonderful? But at the same time, it’s quite hard to accomplish (at least for me). How will I ever find the time to reorganise and give my humble office space a makeover? I had printed a couple of wall art printables several months ago but still haven’t found time to frame and hang them. Now what?

To find some inspiration, I browsed what else but Pinterest and looked for beautiful desk inspirations that are also doable: Continue Reading

As you might have probably guessed, yes, I don’t have a helper again. Michelle stayed with us for just a little over 4 months, and while we have had some complaints (who doesn’t, really?) about her work, her stay with us was generally pleasant. In fact, she’s really a pleasant person to be around with, and, thankfully, her last day was devoid of drama. Totally unlike our last favouriiiiite yaya! 😛

(Update about the ex-yaya who had brought so much trouble to our lives: her amo’s finally sent her away just last week! Finally, nagising din sa katotohanan! Good riddance indeed.)

Anyway, back to Michelle. I’m really glad that she was with us during the time Papa got confined in the hospital. She was such a big help. We have parted ways on good terms and I couldn’t be happier. Continue Reading

Believe me when I say I haven’t had a single minute of “freedom” last week although it was certainly a blast! Even poor Yuri felt the exhaustion of the week as he slept until 9:30 this morning. And I had to wake him up because I was running out of laptop juice and my charger was left downstairs!

Here is how last week went:

Monday

Practice for our village carolling. We (village officers, youth officers + anyone who wants to join) always sing carols here in our neighbourhood to raise money for our annual Christmas party. We always look forward to joining because it’s so much fun! It’s even more fun this year because the youth officers this year are very kalog and the energy levels are sky-high.

Some of the officers (little boy excluded) #teamRED

Tuesday

First day of carolling! I prepared and arranged the songs to be sung. Then Yuri and I rushed to a nearby department store to buy some gifts. We got home just in time to eat dinner and get ready to sing some Christmas songs and bring some Christmas cheer (chos).

I love how time flies so fast when it’s Monday and then all of a sudden, it’s already Friday.

I hate how time flies so fast when it’s Friday night and then, you look away for a second, and it’s already Sunday night. Like right now.

But I don’t lament Mondays for being Mondays. I should be thankful I have a job to look forward to. It’s just the waking-up-early-to-get-to-work-immediately that I’m not very enthusiastic about. For those who don’t know, my work days begin in bed before 6 am.

Oh my goodness, the week is finally coming to an end! And I survived it!

I’ve been having straight busy weeks for some time now, but this week is a different kind of hectic because our family has to deal with a sickness, too. However, work was very hectic this week, too. Aside from training our 3 new hires, I myself have to learn new tasks. On top of that, everyone, especially the staff from Australia, seems to be getting sick. Even my co-pilot Lenz had to miss work the other day because she had a fever – and she’s absent again today because she’s going to Camiguin. Life is fair!

This has been a hectic week at work as we are looking for 2 more additions to our (awesome) Philippine team. We actually hired someone earlier this week, but to make the long story short, her first day of work was also her last day. So I’m back to zero!

I’ve been going through profiles and profiles of fellow writers and virtual assistants, and when I posted an ad this morning (check it out here), even more profiles are added to my mental list of follow-ups. Hence, this is why my email is overflowing!

It’s currently a very stormy night here in Davao with a power interruption to boot, so let’s talk about applying for online jobs and how to get noticed by employers in OnlineJobs.ph. This has been my main “source” of job opps, and this is where I have gotten my job now. This is perfect for virtual workers who are looking for permanent full-time positions instead of projects. There are sooo many profiles in the website, and those looking for workers will not go through each one (because who has time to do that?). I’ve hunted for candidates several times, so let me share with you the factors that make some profiles stand out.